Electric motor driven timing relay with components disposed on one side of supporting frame

ABSTRACT

An electric motor driven timing relay has a speed-reducing gear train having input and output gears and with all of its gears journaled on shafts fixed to a base plate, the electric motor driving the input gear when energized and the output gear having an element fixed on it which rotates with it through a circular path, an electric switch being provided with an actuator positioned in this rotative path and a setting wheel being provided which releasably connects with the output gear for moving the latter to any of a range of rotative positions from which to start its rotation when the motor is energized. To facilitate assembly of these various parts of the relay, the gear journaling shafts are fixed to the base plate to project from only one side of the base plate and the motor and its connecting means, the switch and its actuator, and the setting wheel are also all positioned on this same side. This permits all of the relay parts to be assembled without reversing the base plate or working on its opposite sides, thus facilitating manual and particularly automated assembling operations.

United States Patent [191 Muhling et al.

[ 1 Feb. 12, 1974 1 ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN TIMING RELAY WITH COMPONENTS DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SUPPORTING FRAME [75] Inventors: Alois Muhling, Pleinfeld; Helmut Schmidt; Hans Knie, both of Nurnberg, all of Germany [73] Assignee: Siemens Aktiengesellschaft, Munich,

Germany 22 Filed: Nov. 30, 1972 21 Appl. No; 310,879

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data Dec. 4, 1971 Germany 2160301 [52] U.S. Cl. 200/35 R, 200/168 R [51] Int. Cl. H01h 43/10, HOlh 9/02 [58] Field of Search.... 200/33 R, 35 R, 38 R, 38 A, 200/38 FA, 38 B, 38 BA, 168 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,501,602 3/1970 Dotto et a1 200/38 R 3,281,547 10/1966 Everard 200/38 A FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 1,203,357 10/1965 Germany Primary Examiner-James R. Scott Attorney, Agent, or FirmKenyon & Kenyon Reilly Carr & Chapin [5 7 ABSTRACT An electric motor driven timing relay has a speedreducing gear train having input and output gears and with all of its gears journaled on shafts fixed to a base plate, the electric motor driving the input gear when energized and the output gear having an element fixed on it which rotates with it through a circular path, an electric switch being provided with an actuator positioned in this rotative path and a setting wheel being provided which releasably connects with the output gear for moving the latter to any of a range of rotative positions from which to start its rotation when the motor is energized. To facilitate assembly of these various parts of the relay, the gear journaling shafts are fixed to the base plate to project from only one side of the base plate and the motor and its connecting means, the switch and its actuator, and the setting wheel are also all positioned on this same side. This permits all of the relay parts to be assembled without reversing the base plate or working on its opposite sides, thus facilitating manual and particularly automated assembling operations.

3 Claims, 2 Drawing Figures ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN TIMING RELAY WITH COMPONENTS DISPOSED ON ONE SIDE OF SUPPORTING FRAME BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION An electric motor driven timing relay is disclosed by published German Patent Application 1,203,357. This relay includes a speed-reducing gear train having input and output gears and with all of its gears journaled on shafts fixed to a base plate, the electric motor having means for connecting it to drive this input gear when the motor is energized, an element fixed on the output gear rotating therewith through a circular path so that an electric switch having an actuator positioned in this path can be actuated a predetermined time after the motor is initially energized. Thus, a time delay relay is provided. To adjust its timing, a setting wheel is arranged for releasable connection with the output gear for moving the latter to any of a range of rotative positions from which to start its rotation when the motor is energized.

The shafts are fixed to the base plate with the rotative elements being journaled thereon 'rotatively. This has the advantage in that changing of the gears of the gear train is simplified and assembly of the parts is to some extent facilitated. However, the drive motor, and the gears and the setting wheel are positioned on different sides of the base plate, this undesirably impeding the assembly of the various parts during the manufacture of the relay. Assembly requires working on the opposite sides of the base plate, making manual assembly troublesome and automated assembly particularly difficult.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION One object of the present invention is to provide such a relay with a construction such that without losing its advantageous features, assembly of its parts is facilitated to a degree permitting complete automation.

This object is attained by making the base plate with all of its mounting members, shafts and all other parts, so that they extend or project from only one side of the base plate. No reversal or inversion of the base plate is required during assembly of any of the relay parts.

To intially assemble or change the gears of the gear train, they need only to be slid on their non-rotative shafts which are fixed to the base plate and project therefrom in the same direction. Portions of the base plate are stamped out to provide all necessary partsmounting brackets, these also extending from the same side. The motor housing face facing the base plate is formed with a bearing hole into which the input gear shaft projects when the motor is fastened to its brackets, thus indexing the motor with respect to its driving pinion and the gear trains input gear with which this pinion must mesh. The electric switch actuator is in the form of a lever journaled on the fixed shaft on which the output gear is also journaled, this permitting the output gear to be slid on this shaft after which the lever is slid on this same shaft and having other advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS A preferred embodiment of the present invention is illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view schematically showing the assembly of the parts with the driving motor about to be installed; and

FIG. 2 is an end view of the motors housing face plate which faces the base plate.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT In the above FIG. 1 the base plate 1 is shown with its assembly side facing the viewer, all parts assembling work being done on this side only. The gear train shafts 2 through 5 all extend from this side, these shafts being fixed non-rotatively to the base plate 1. The speedreducing gear train includes an input gear 6 journaled on the shaft 2, intermediate gears 7 and 8, respectively journaled on the shafts 3 and 4, and an output gear 9 journaled on the shaft 5. The time delay setting wheel is a crown gear 10 which meshes with a gear 11 also journaled on the shaft 5. All of these gears may be freely slid onto their respective shafts from the same side of the base plate 1. The crown gear 10 is mounted by a bracket 12 formed as an integral, right anguarly bent portion of the base plate 1, extending from the plates assembly side, the wheel 10 having three hooks which ride symmmetically in a circular hole 12a formed in the bracket 12. These hooks 10a permit rotation of the wheel 10 but provide enough friction to hold it against easy rotation. This crown gear 10 has a slot 13 formed in it so that a manual setting knob 14 provided with a flat shank 15 fitting the hole 13 may be used to rotate the gear 10 and, therefore, the gear 11, the friction between the hooks 10a and the bracket 12 thereafter maintaining the position fixed by rotation of the knob 14. Other releasable locking means could be used.

The gear 11 is rigidly fixed to an abutment pin 16 which projects from the side of this gear 11 away from the base plate 1. A torsion spring 17 has one end locked to the gear 11, as by being hooked over this pin 16, the other end of this spring 17 being connected with the output gear 9. This torsion spring 17 acts to constantly bias the output gear 9 to turn in a clockwise direction as the parts are viewed in FIG. 1, the gear 9 having a follower pin 18 rigidly projecting towards the gear 11, the pins 16 and 18 being oriented so that they can interengage. Using the knob 14 to turn the setting wheel 10, the gear 11, turned counterclockwise through the interengaging pins 16 and 18, turns the wheel 10 in the same direction against the bias of the torsion spring 17 to any desired position, further counterclockwise rotation of the output gear 9 being possible because the pin 18 can freely disengage from the pin 16.

The shaft 5 on which the gears 9 and 1 l are journaled has a projecting end 19 on which an electric switch actuating lever 20 is journaled. The gear 9 has an axially offset pin 21 projecting from it so that this pin travels in the circular path of the gear 9, the lever 20 having an arm located in this circular path so that with rotation of the gear 9 to a degree determined by the relays timing, the pin 21 engages and swings the lever 20. The portion of the lever engaged by the pin 21 is not under any frictional engagement because this portion and the pin travel in the same circular path.

During assembly after the gears 11 and 9 are slid on the shaft 5 with the spring 17 between them, this lever 20 is slid on the projecting end 19 of the shaft 5. The lever may be easily slid from the projecting end 19 whenever the gears of the gear train are changed. The lever 20 is a two-armed lever, its left-hand arm actuating an electric switch 22 mounted by a bracket 23 formed by a bentportion of the plate 1 which projects in the same direction as all the other parts, from the same side of this plate. The lever motion affects actuation of the switch contacts through a toggle or snapacting member 24 so that the switch contacts positively snap between their opened and closed positions. A setting screw 25 on the switch actuating lever arm provides for adjustment of the switching moment of the toggle element or snap acting device.

The gear train is driven by a synchronous electric motor 26 which is provided with a slide rotor pinion 27 which is moved towards the base plate by the motors rotor rotation. A release spring 28 pushes the slide rotor into its released position whenever the motor 26 is de-energized, the pinion 27 then disengaging from the input gear 6 with which it meshes when the motor is energized. The housing of the motor 26 has two oppositely extending mounting brackets 29 in which mounting holes are formed and through which mounting screws 30 are passed. The plate 1 has motor mounting brackets 31 bent to project from the same side of the plate 1 previously mentioned, these brackets having right angular arms having holes for the screws 30.

When the gear 27 moves towards the base plate when the motor 26 is energized, it must be indexed or positioned relative to the input gear 6 to mesh accurately with the latter. To assure this, the face plate of the motor 26 facing the base plate 1, is formed with a hearing hole 32 into which the end 2a of the shaft 2 enters when the motor is installed and fastened to the brackets 31. This hole 32 is positioned relative to the pinion 27 so that when the shaft end 2a is in the hole 32 the pinion 27 can move inwardly, accurately indexed with the gear 6.

This timing relay is set as to its desired delayed action time by means of the setting knob 14 which through the setting wheel, or crown gear, turns the gear 11 one way or another, its abutment pin 16 cooperating with the follower pin 18 under the action of the torsion spring 17 which biases the output gear 9, and therefore this pin 18, to turn in a clockwise direction. This spaces the pin 21 on the output gear 9 a thus predetermined distance from the portion of the lever which is in the circular traveling path of this pin 21. The setting wheel 10 retains its set position as previously described, thereby holding the gear 11 against inadvertent rotation.

Upon energization of the motor 26 its gear 27 moves inwardly and meshes with the input gear 26, this, through the train of gears, rotating the gear 9 counterclockwise with the follower pin 18 freely leaving the abutment pin 16. After the predetermined time for which the relay is set, the pin 21 engages the lever so that the contacts of the switch 22 are actuated. The lever 20 has a projecting end 20a riding in a yoke formed by a bent-out portion of the base plate 1, again on the plates assembly side, the pin 21 moving the lever 20 to its swinging limit thus established by this yoke. This installs the motor 26, the switch 22 then remaining actuated so long as the motor 26 is energized.

When the motor 26 is de-energized, the pinion 27 is withdrawn from the input gear 6 by the spring 28, the torsion spring 17 turning the output gear 9 and the entire gear train reversely until the follower pin 18 reengages the pin 16 still located at its initially set position. Repeated energizations and de-energizations of the motor 26 causes the repeated cycles of operations with the same time delay, unless the knob 14 is used to turn the setting wheel 10 to provide a different timing period.

What is claimed is:

l. A time delay relay including a speed-reducing gear train having input and output gears and with all of its gears joumaled on shafts fixed to a base plate, an electric motor, means for connecting said motor to drive said input gear when said motor is energized, an element fixed on said output gear to rotate therewith through a circular path, an electric switch having an actuator positioned in said path, and a setting wheel releasably connecting with said output gear for moving the latter to any of a range of rotative positions from which to start its rotation when said motor is energized; wherein the improvement comprises a switch actuator comprising a lever joumaled on the same shaft on which said output gear is joumaled and having a portion engaged by said output gears element, said gear train shafts projecting from only one side of said base plate, and said gear train gears, said motor and its said connecting means, said element, said switch and actuator lever, and said setting wheel all being positioned only on said one side of said base plate regardless the configuration thereof.

2. The relay of claim 1 in which said motor is mounted by brackets formed by bent portions of said base plate which project from said base plate side.

3. The relay of claim 1 in which said motor, when energized, drives a pinion into mesh with said input gear from a position normally free therefrom, said motor having a hole in which said input gear shaft is received to index said pinion relative to said input gear.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE P atent No, 3,79 7 Dated F r y 1 97 i V t lnvento ffi AloisMfihling, Helmut Schmidt, Hans Knie I is cefti'f ied that error appears in the above-identified patent andj that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Inihel Foreign Applicatioh Priority Data change the file number I of=the German application upon which the claim for priority I vis -based from 321 60 301" to P 21 60 301.0--

C'olfimh, line 19, change "anguarly" to --angul arly- Column t, line 8, change "installs-" 135 stalls L I Signed sealed this 20th day of August 197 amon, JR." MARSHALL DANN Atteeti ngfoffi cer a Commissioner OfTPathCB I usconm-bc noon-p99 t UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE- CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION we; w 3,792,207 Dated T Fe ru y 197M I fif'i' w A1015 Mfihling, Helmut Schmidt, Hans Knie I itlis peftif ied thet error appears in the above-ideiitified patent and"; that said Le-tters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

thefForeigh Application Prioi'ity Data. change the file number Offthe' German application upon which the claim for priority g ed from 9-21 60 301" to --'-P 21 60 301.0--

' Colom n Z, line 19, change "anguarly" to --angular1yu,,1i 8, change 7 "ins-tails to stlls T '7 signe d' alnd sealed this 20th day of August 197 MECOTMJmGIBSON, JR; i v c. MARSHALL DANN ['1 T Attesti ng"Officer; Commissioner oif'Patente- 

1. A time delay relay including a speed-reducing gear train having input and output gears and with all of its gears journaled on shafts fixed to a base plate, an electric motor, means for connecting said motor to drive said input gear when said motor is energized, an element fixed on said output gear to rotate therewith through a circular path, an electric switch having an actuator positioned in said path, and a setting wheel releasably connecting with said output gear for moving the latter to any of a range of rotative positions from which to start its rotation when said motor is energized; wherein the improvement comprises a switch actuator comprising a lever journaled on the same shaft on which said output gear is journaled and having a portion engaged by said output gear''s element, said gear train shafts projecting from only one side of said base plate, and said gear train gears, said motor and its said connecting means, said element, said switch and actuator lever, and said setting wheel all being positioned only on said one side of said base plate regardless the configuration thereof.
 2. The relay of claim 1 in which said motor is mounted by brackets formed by bent portions of said base plate which project from said base plate side.
 3. The relay of claim 1 in which said motor, when energized, drives a pinion into mesh with said input gear from a position normally free therefrom, said motor having a hole in which said input gear shaft is received to index said pinion relative to said input gear. 